2 Maccabees 9:16-18

Common English Bible

¹⁶ He would adorn the holy temple, which he had formerly looted, with the most beautiful offerings. He would restore the temple equipment many times over and would give liberally from his own revenues to the expenses for the sacrifices. ¹⁷ In addition, he would become a Jew and would visit every inhabited place, announcing publicly God’s power. ¹⁸ When his pains didn’t diminish in any way—for God’s judgment had come upon him justly—and he had given up hope, he wrote to the Jews a letter of appeal. This was the content: